The F-15C that crashed into the ocean Friday afternoon off Hawaii had just passed the thorough structural inspection USAF instituted for each F-15 A-D model aircraft after the fleet-wide grounding, so officials say they do not believe the problem was structural, reports the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The accident investigation is ongoing, but Brig. Gen. Peter Pawling, commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Wing, said, “The airplane was still in one piece” when the pilot ejected. The pilot, reportedly very experienced in flying fighters, is a member of the 154th Wing’s 199th Fighter Squadron. The unit halted all training flights following the Friday crash, but Pawling expects to resume training later this week, reports the newspaper. The accident investigation could take months.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.